Is Jacksonville a contender in the world economy?

[Jason]

Florida leaders to discuss Jacksonville's future in the global economic market



By DIANA MIDDLETON, The Times-Union


Is Jacksonville a contender in the world economy?

That's what Florida leaders and economists will discuss Wednesday at the Prime Osborn Convention Center at a convention dubbed "The Jacksonville Experience."


Topics under discussion include global business strategies, Jacksonville's international markets, and how to make Jacksonville a competitive city in a global market. The symposium is a precursor to the Chamber of Commerce's leadership trip to China. The cost for registrants was $100.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton are both slated to speak at the summit.

The event is currently sold out.

Look for more on this story in tomorrow's Times-Union.

diana.middleton@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4404

[Jason]

Jax Port's new far-east connection via Mitsui OSK could do a lot to increase our status as a world contender. But in order to suffeciently support an influx in shipping and recieving the city really needs to devote more time and money to the infrastructure of the port and the the rail and highways supporting it.

[thelakelander]

Can you be a true player on an international level with the Prime Osborn as your primary convention center and a bus rapid transit system as your trunk line for mass transit?  If so, has it ever been done and what city would fit that bill?

[copperfiend]

The area needs to spend more time trying to bring higher paying jobs to Jacksonville. They need to spend less time bringing 8 dollar/hour warehouse and 10 dollar/hour call center jobs to Jacksonville.

[big ben]

The area needs to spend more time trying to bring higher paying jobs to Jacksonville. They need to spend less time bringing 8 dollar/hour warehouse and 10 dollar/hour call center jobs to Jacksonville.

my company brought two this year, depending on what's considered high-paying.  we also lost one even higher paying, but they're intending on bringing a replacement salary in.  i think i stated that odd.

[Ocklawaha]

if so, has it ever been done and in what city?

I believe the old World port in the Corinth ismus, in Greece, about 50 BCE comes close. While it is true they didn't have BRT, they did have perhaps the Worlds first railway. Something I am sure JTA would label as "LRT". It was used to carry the small ships, cargo and passengers over the ismus, with a stone guideway. They also may have pioneered clean energy in mass transit by using slave power or horses. The crude carts of those days looked remarkably like some of the new BRT buses.

Sorry about that, but LAKE, you did ask...

Ocklawaha

[gatorback]

you need a good school to get students to relocate and attend. UNF is a great school with an awesome student body; however, once they graduate the move on...why, because what does the city of Jacksonville offer for night life? Nothing except emty buildings and empty parking spaces, which is good if you are speculating but not good if you want to get 'it' on intheir world... MHO.  Maybe DVI could help get the night life going??? Where's vision when u need it?

[ELeroyReed]

I attended the Jacksonville Experience conference yesterday.  A few recurring themes mentioned by the speakers (mostly senior-level executives with global companies)....

-To become a global player, Jacksonville will need more qualified, entry-level, employees that are willing to work.

-Small businesses will be a key part of the equation, only if they're willing to explore ways that they can do business globally. 

-Jacksonville's port needs to be deeper.

-To get good people, you need good school systems. 

-Good people won't move from other parts of the country for bad school systems (or poor quality of life, or high property taxes, or expensive homes.... etc.)

-To stay competitive, you have to recruit the best there is, no matter what part of the world they currently live in.

Obviously, this is just a snapshot of the information presented at the conference.  But, it gives you an idea....
(And remember...  those are THEIR comments.  Don't shoot the messenger.    )

A few personal thoughts:

-What happens when we dredge the port? Bring in more big business and industry?  Become a hub of distribution?  Add transportation infrastructure to support it?  Put a few thousand 18-wheelers on the roads in Jax?

-According to Gov. Crist's comments yesterday, he's very grateful to a lot of people and he thinks Florida is awesome.  (I don't know that he actually used the word 'awesome', but he, like, totally was into how awesome Florida was.  Like, totally.)

-Mayor Peyton can give a 10-minute speech in 2 minutes.  I swear, I don't think the man took a breath.

-Wasn't there a time when we wanted to promote jobs in North Florida, not outsource to India and China (and Russia and Hungary and The Phillipines and....)? (Citi has charts, graphs, and matrixes (matrices?) on which country provides the best customer service people for the price.  Apparently Ireland is expensive but has good CSRs, Russia is cheap but has poor CSRs)

-How many senior executives does it take to make the average citizen forget that doing business with China might be....  of concern (seeing as they're a communist country and QA/QC is questionable at best)?

-The Prime Osborne convention needs help.  (Can I get a "duh"?)  The luncheon was held in a huge room with unfinished concrete floors.  I'm sure interior designers were screaming inside for some carpeting.

Ellen

[Jason]

-What happens when we dredge the port? Bring in more big business and industry?  Become a hub of distribution?  Add transportation infrastructure to support it?  Put a few thousand 18-wheelers on the roads in Jax?

Rail would be the mojor support system for expanded port operations.  IMO, a more competitive seaport will draw in the most interests from worldwide companies through the import/export buisness.  Next, I would think dumping tons of money into the school system would be the next step.  Florida isn't known for its public education system but it is still growing in leaps and bounds.  If Jax could hold another "Ace" with the best school system in the state then we could quickly grow into a worldwide contender.  The infrastructure is here. the geographic advantage through our rail and highway connections with the rest of the continent are here.  All we need is to patch up a few lose ends and elect a visionary leader to push us to the top.

[vicupstate]

Port looking to build $60 million cruise terminal in Mayport

By TIMOTHY J. GIBBONS, The Times-Union


The Jacksonville Port Authority is considering building a permanent $60 million cruise terminal in Mayport - adjacent to the St. Johns River Ferry docks - a move the authority says could lead to more ships and thousands of additional passengers.

Port Authority Executive Director Rick Ferrin said Thursday the idea is the latest in a string of plans to move the temporary cruise terminal at Dames Point to a location that would allow bigger ships to access the docks. Now, the Dames Point bridge limits the height of cruise ships that can come that far down the river, limiting the business.

For the plan to come to fruition, the authority has to buy additional parcels of land, get regulatory approval and negotiate a long-term deal with cruise ship companies that would use the facility.

I seem to remeber teh JEDC or the JPA or some  agency determined that Cruise Terminals did not create high-paying jobs or necesarily significan ttourist spending, and therefore, it would not pursue them.

What changed?  Is a cruise Terminal a better expenditure of funds than a deep channel or for that matter, a REAL Convention Center, where tourists would actually STAY in JAx instead of floating off elsewhere?

As for the Jackonville Experience convention, what the hell was said that hasn't been said sixty times before.  The time for talk is past, either put some actions behind the words or don't even bother.   

[Ocklawaha]

Cruise Business?

In distant Maryland, far from the tropics, the cruise business in the Port of Baltimore generates $148, Million dollars a year in local spending. As the business continues to grow in 8 Maine Ports, the economic impact is more quality jobs which in turn continue to fuel the growth cycle.(Cruise America.com news)

Seattle complains that the inside gateway cruises to Alaska and Southern California, just don't buoy the port in and of themselves. The cruise business needs to consider the needs of containers and bulk shipping as it continues to expand along the waterfront, The Seattle cuises only generate $208 Million a year in positive revenue. (Seattle Times)

Way out West in Texas, the Port of Houston sailed along with 53 voyages in 2005. These trips generated 13,817 jobs, with wages totaling $578, Million dollars. (Port of Houston.com)

In frozen Maine, land of lobsters, potatos and pine trees, the tiny cruise business along the rocky shoreline is booming and expanding, 8 Cruise Ports are already generating a positive impact. Bar Harbor alone has chocked up revenues of $12 Million dollars in added business due to extra spending. (State of Maine)  

The Impact of Cruise Ship Passengers in Maine:
The Example of Bar Harbor
by Todd Gabe Colleen Lynch James McConnon

Maine's expanding cruise ship industry can provide local economic benefits and add to the state's already large tourism economy. The authors describe results of a survey they conducted among passengers from eight ship visits to Bar Harbor, a town that has emerged as a popular port-of- call on New England summer and autumn cruises. They found that cruise ship passengers have higher household incomes and spend substantially more per day than the typical Maine tourist. They make several suggestions for how ports can maximize the benefits from cruise ship passengers. These include using cruise ship visits to extend the local tourism season; converting "non-spending" passengers to "spenders"; implementing strategies to encourage and track return visits by passengers; and developing management plans to direct the flow of passengers through town.

During its inaugural year in 2004, the Queen Mary II will make two one-day stops in Portland, Maine. As the world's largest luxury cruise liner, the Queen Mary II will bring passengers, publicity and economic activity to Portland, a city that saw an increase from 15 to 42 cruise ship visits between 1999 and 2002 (Associated Press 2003).

Even with their recent growth, the cruise ship industries in Portland and Bangor are relatively small compared to the industry in Bar Harbor. Given its small-town charm and close proximity to Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor has emerged as a popular port-of-call on New England summer and autumn cruises. Bar Harbor hosted 56 and 64 ship visits in 2001 and 2002, respectively, and 74 stops were scheduled for 2003 (Chapman 2002). The ships that docked in 2002 brought with them 97,190 passengers to explore the town and shop in local stores; together, they contributed an estimated $12.1 million to the local economy (Gabe et al. 2003).

Here in humble Florida, just the Southern Ports, generate more then $5, BILLION in business, research and economic impact. (International Council of Cruise Lines)

Just imagine, really BIG ships, docking daily, to embark thousands of happy travelers that come in by car, plane and train... Cruises to distant ports-o-call, the islands, down the St. Johns, or the Coast, Hotels, fuel, restaurants, gifts, JIA, JTA, JPA, bed tax, airport tax, landing fees, bus charters... Booming beach Cities,

...a whole new "OLD MAYPORT" face, following Maines lead and suggestions?  

They make several suggestions for how ports can maximize the benefits from cruise ship passengers. These include using cruise ship visits to extend the local tourism season; converting "non-spending" passengers to "spenders"; implementing strategies to encourage and track return visits by passengers; and developing management plans to direct the flow of passengers through town.

Yeah, I could see why some people wouldn't want that...

Remember, "We are the City that doesn't deal with carnival people", (Ed Ball, to Walt Disney, about North Florida) Sucks to be us sometimes!


Ocklawaha

[Jason]

I still wonder what Jacksonville would look like if Disney would have taken up shop here.  Just look at what is did for a small crossroads town like Orlando....

[reednavy]

The biggest thing that Jax Metro has working for it is its number of air fields. You got JIA, Craig and Herlong Municipals and Cecil Field. Very few cities have 2 major airports with significant runways like JAX does. If the city was to go all out shouting Cecil Field as THE premiere cargo airport in Florida, which it can become quickly, the city will really put its self out there. But in my mind, the honestly should've moved JIA to Cecil Field because it's closer to the population core of the Metro, but the thing that killed that was no interstate connection, had the Brannen Field project been done 10-15 yrs ago, JIA probably would've moved. Current JIA could be turned into a major int'l cargo airport, especially due to it being within 5 miles of JAXPORT's Blount Island and Dames Point Terminals, and just around 10 miles from the Talleyrand Terminal. This would have made much more of an impact than expanding the current JIA, I mean, barely, if even 10% of the JAX Metro lives north of the airport. Jacksonville-Cecil Field Int'l Cargo Airport does have a cool ring to it, but it would be better like Jackosnville Int'l Airport @ Cecil Field or Jacksonville-Cecil Field Int'l Airport. Either way, the city really needs to flex it's muscle from Cecil Field. Herlong and Craig are really going to become good sized Corporate Airfields as the city grows. JIA will grow, in time, they should really put ads and stuff or send brochures to Europe and get some Europian Airlines here, considering that Lufthansa is looking into the new Panama City-Bay County Int'l Airport, to be completed in late 2009.

[vicupstate]

Cruise Business?

In distant Maryland, far from the tropics, the cruise business in the Port of Baltimore generates $148, Million dollars a year in local spending. As the business continues to grow in 8 Maine Ports, the economic impact is more quality jobs which in turn continue to fuel the growth cycle.(Cruise America.com news)

Seattle complains that the inside gateway cruises to Alaska and Southern California, just don't buoy the port in and of themselves. The cruise business needs to consider the needs of containers and bulk shipping as it continues to expand along the waterfront, The Seattle cuises only generate $208 Million a year in positive revenue. (Seattle Times)

Way out West in Texas, the Port of Houston sailed along with 53 voyages in 2005. These trips generated 13,817 jobs, with wages totaling $578, Million dollars. (Port of Houston.com)

In frozen Maine, land of lobsters, potatos and pine trees, the tiny cruise business along the rocky shoreline is booming and expanding, 8 Cruise Ports are already generating a positive impact. Bar Harbor alone has chocked up revenues of $12 Million dollars in added business due to extra spending. (State of Maine)  

The Impact of Cruise Ship Passengers in Maine:
The Example of Bar Harbor
by Todd Gabe Colleen Lynch James McConnon

Maine's expanding cruise ship industry can provide local economic benefits and add to the state's already large tourism economy. The authors describe results of a survey they conducted among passengers from eight ship visits to Bar Harbor, a town that has emerged as a popular port-of- call on New England summer and autumn cruises. They found that cruise ship passengers have higher household incomes and spend substantially more per day than the typical Maine tourist. They make several suggestions for how ports can maximize the benefits from cruise ship passengers. These include using cruise ship visits to extend the local tourism season; converting "non-spending" passengers to "spenders"; implementing strategies to encourage and track return visits by passengers; and developing management plans to direct the flow of passengers through town.

During its inaugural year in 2004, the Queen Mary II will make two one-day stops in Portland, Maine. As the world's largest luxury cruise liner, the Queen Mary II will bring passengers, publicity and economic activity to Portland, a city that saw an increase from 15 to 42 cruise ship visits between 1999 and 2002 (Associated Press 2003).

Even with their recent growth, the cruise ship industries in Portland and Bangor are relatively small compared to the industry in Bar Harbor. Given its small-town charm and close proximity to Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor has emerged as a popular port-of-call on New England summer and autumn cruises. Bar Harbor hosted 56 and 64 ship visits in 2001 and 2002, respectively, and 74 stops were scheduled for 2003 (Chapman 2002). The ships that docked in 2002 brought with them 97,190 passengers to explore the town and shop in local stores; together, they contributed an estimated $12.1 million to the local economy (Gabe et al. 2003).

Here in humble Florida, just the Southern Ports, generate more then $5, BILLION in business, research and economic impact. (International Council of Cruise Lines)

Just imagine, really BIG ships, docking daily, to embark thousands of happy travelers that come in by car, plane and train... Cruises to distant ports-o-call, the islands, down the St. Johns, or the Coast, Hotels, fuel, restaurants, gifts, JIA, JTA, JPA, bed tax, airport tax, landing fees, bus charters... Booming beach Cities,

...a whole new "OLD MAYPORT" face, following Maines lead and suggestions?  

They make several suggestions for how ports can maximize the benefits from cruise ship passengers. These include using cruise ship visits to extend the local tourism season; converting "non-spending" passengers to "spenders"; implementing strategies to encourage and track return visits by passengers; and developing management plans to direct the flow of passengers through town.

Yeah, I could see why some people wouldn't want that...

Remember, "We are the City that doesn't deal with carnival people", (Ed Ball, to Walt Disney, about North Florida) Sucks to be us sometimes!


Ocklawaha

The bottom line is, will people drive down I-95, and Wonderwood Connector, get on a boat, come back in a few days and go back the way they came, or will they actually spend time and Money in JAX?   Mayport is an isolated largely naval port with no real infrastructure (currently).  I could definitely see that scenario happening. 

If this were DT or most anywhere else, i wouldn't be as concerned.  The study that showed the return on investment on a cruise port, had to be based on SOMETHING.  Let's get the facts first.       

[Ocklawaha]

They currently drive from Dothan, Valdosta, Atlanta, Macon, Nashville etc... all the way to Titusville, then across a bunch of causeways, past endless "Joe's Fish Camps" to a large cruise port, stuck between a beach and a cargo port.

Or...

They drive another 150 miles to West Palm, and leave I-95, driving a similar distance through the City to get to a Port terminal.

Or...

They drive another 50 miles, to Ft. Lauderdale, through endless ghetto, that makes our worst look good, to get to a port, if they stop to shop here, they probably don't come back.

Or...

They drive another 40 miles through Los Angeles like congestion, fight endless traffic, miles and miles of "YOU BETTER NOT EXIT HERE" neighborhoods, to be dumped into the CBD, to fight their way across to the cruise terminals.

and YOU are worried about MAYPORT? OMG! Guys, don't you see what we have to sell? I dare any of you to walk from Pompano Beach to the port in Fort Lauderdale and return ALIVE! HA! Jacksonville shines compared to that place, in fact Mayport shines compared to any of the above. Hundreds of miles closer to the big markets, and much, much kinder on the eyes and pocketbook. Do you even know that gasoline is .30 cents a gallon more in South Florida? Ditto for anything else, pizza? bread? hotels? etc. Once the word hits the business that people came to Jacksonville, stayed in St. Augustine, Amelia, Ponte Vedra, Jacksonville, Neptune, or Atlantic Beaches, walked around at night, caught a concert, went out to eat, did some fishing, shell collecting, returned with a tan, car, wallet and pride intact, our port will soar. No one else this side of Cartagena Colombia*, has the combination of what we have to sell.

*(Cartagena Colombia, often refered to as St. Augustine on steroids, with crystal clear Caribbean Sea. But then Colombians refer to St. Augustine as Cartagena coddled).

Ocklawaha